Freshman infielder/utility Kaniya Bragg celebrates as she trots home and prepares to step on home plate after hitting a home run. (Karla Cardenas-Felipe/Daily Bruin staff)
With No. 12 seed Texas Tech and No. 6 seed Texas set to battle it out in the Women’s College World Series final and UCLA softball officially out of the running, Assistant Sports editor Connor Dullinger gives his five main takeaways from the 2025 campaign.
Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez has long talked about “Bruin magic.”
And on the path to its eventual Women’s College World Series exit, No. 9 seed UCLA made its fair share of clutch moves when it mattered most.
This post was updated June 4 at 10:35 p.m.
The Bruins are in the NCAA super regional for the first time since 2019.
While No. 15 seed UCLA baseball (45-16, 22-8 Big Ten) was likely to be pit against formerly-No.
Big innings have been a theme for the Bruins all weekend.
And a five-run top of the fourth seemed to position UCLA in cruise control.
But no lead, no matter how daunting, is safe on the road to Omaha, Nebraska.
Not unless you have the pitching staff to protect it.
And with its bullpen tossing a shutout seventh, eighth and ninth, No.
Winning at regionals is an accomplishment.
But it’s just the beginning, serving as the first stepping stone to potentially capturing a national title.
UCLA track and field competed in the NCAA West Regional at Texas A&M’s E.B Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas, from Wednesday to Saturday.
This post was updated June 1 at 10:50 p.m.
OKLAHOMA CITY – One out away from the end of the Bruins’ season, the story was written for NFCA First Team All-American juniors third baseman Jordan Woolery and first baseman Megan Grant – nicknamed “the Bruin Bombers” – to save UCLA’s run toward a national title.
It took Roman Martin 24 games for him to hit his first home run of 2025.
But the sophomore third baseman had hit five over his previous 14 contests heading into Saturday.
Bats often go silent under the bright lights and towering expectations of the postseason.
But when two of the top pitchers in the country – All-American selections NiJaree Canady and junior Taylor Tinsley – face off on softball’s biggest stage, coaches have to resort to other tactics to get runners across the plate.
Maybe it was home-field advantage.
Maybe it was because it had been four days since UCLA’s last game.
But after getting shut out in Sunday’s Big Ten tournament championship, there’d be no signs of a stagnant offense Friday.
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